Dubai: Three Palestinians are being
questioned over the killing last month of a top Hamas member
in a Dubai hotel, Al-Ittihad newspaper reported on Thursday, citing
a police source.
"The number of Palestinians being questioned in
connection with the killing of (Mahmud) al-Mabhuh has risen to
three," the newspaper cited a high-level police source as
saying.
Mabhuh, a founder of Hamas' armed wing, was found dead in
his hotel room in Dubai on January 20.
Dubai police have previously announced that they have in
custody two Palestinians, who were deported from Jordan.
The source did not provide details on the detention of
the third Palestinian, the newspaper said.
"The source confirmed that one of those
(previously-detained) Palestinians has been proven to have
been involved in Mabhuh's killing," Al-Ittihad said.
Dubai police announced yesterday that 15 new Western
passport holders are now suspects in Mabhuh's murder, bringing
the total of Western suspects in the killing to 26.
Five women were among the 15 new names, which also
include three Irish and three Australian passport holders.
Dubai police had earlier released the names and photos of
11 suspects who had entered the UAE on European passports --
six from Britain, three from Ireland, one from Germany and one
from France.
More Israeli names on new list of Dubai suspects
The names of at least eight new
suspects that Dubai police are linking to the slaying of a top
Hamas operative match those of people in Israel, further
hinting at Israeli involvement in a killing widely thought to
be the work of the Mossad spy agency.
Dubai police released the names of 15 new suspects
yesterday, bringing to 26 the number of people suspected in
the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
In all, at least 15 of the names match those of real
people who live in Israel. All of those contacted have said
their identities were used without their permission.
Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement in the
killing.
Israeli security officials say al-Mabhouh was involved in
smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip with Iranian help and
was wanted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers who were
captured and killed in 1989.
Five of the names released yesterday appear in Israeli
telephone directories, and Australia's foreign minister said
two other names belong to Australians living in Israel. An
eighth name, Roy Cannon, matches that of a 62-year-old man who
immigrated to Israel from Britain.
Raphael Cannon, his son, told agency today
that his father had moved to Israel in 1979 and was surprised
when an acquaintance saw his name on the Internet yesterday.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 19:46